Saturday, July 18, 2009

“How to Get Past Readers & Shepherd Your Book Through Publication”

Jerry D. Simmons – Retired VP of Marketing for Time Warner Books

The hard cold facts are that readers are overwhelmed with manuscripts. Whatever doesn’t fit on a busy editor’s desk gets shuffled to a reader. And, even more discouraging, many readers are amateurs in the publishing business, college students or unpublished hopefuls looking for a way into the publishing industry. So, how do you get past readers and onto the editor’s desk? Jerry Simmons shares his personal list of insider secrets for getting past readers, as well as how to shepherd your book through publication.

Over the years, Mr. Simmons has been fortunate enough to work on best selling books like:
The Bridges of Madison County, Rich Dad/Poor Dad, Scarlett, Megatrends, Catcher in the Rye, Simple Abundance, The Lovely Bones, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Celestine Prophecy, Presumed Innocent, The Notebook, The Lion King, Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider, Absolute Power and The General’s Daughter. Although specifics for publication of these books varied, Simmons noticed that many elements were the same. So, he broke away from Time Warner and started his own publication company…focused on shepherding authors successfully through the publication process.

Today, Jerry D. Simmons, publisher extraordinaire, is focused on one thing--preparing writers for success. At our July meeting, you will receive straightforward, honest information about how to get your manuscript past readers and through the publishing process. Whether you choose the traditional route or opt for self-publishing, you need the facts about the marketplace and how it works to be successful.

“This business has too many ‘professionals’ and so-called ‘experts’ wanting to sell you products and services that serve no purpose,” says Simmons. “For new and established authors, it’s imperative to know what works, what doesn’t, and how to set up a career for current and future success. This information can save writers thousands of dollars, not to mention valuable time that potentially could be lost if the wrong decisions are made.” 

Mr. Simmons’ goal is to provide writers with the best possible information about the marketplace for publishing and selling books. So, if you want to publish, if you want to make your mark as an author, set aside July 18th to attend the SCWA meeting – and, bring a friend!